System and method for drug sample inventory and tracking

Abstract

A medical center computer system, located at a remote medical center, is used to enter and store information regarding the receipt, dispensing, and inventory of drug samples, automatically check the expiration date of drug samples received and dispensed, enter and store information regarding patients to which drug samples are dispensed, and to automatically enter drug sample receipt information into patient charts. The drug sample receipt, dispensing, and inventory information, and possibly patient information, are then communicated to and stored on a central server. The drug sample receipt, dispensing, and inventory information, and possibly patient information, relating to drug samples from a particular drug company are then communicated to a drug company computer system for the particular drug company, located at a remote drug company facility, where the drug company can access the information.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, comprising: 
 a) a central server, having a memory that stores information that includes drug sample information, which provides detailed drug sample information for drug samples that are delivered to and dispensed from a remote medical center, and that stores drug sample tracking information, which provides information on the drug samples delivered to the remote medical center and the drug samples dispensed from the remote medical center, and having communications means for coupling the drug sample information and drug sample tracking information between the central server and the remote medical center; and    b) a medical center computer system, located at the remote medical center, the medical center computer system having means for entering and storing the drug sample tracking information, means for indicating the inventory of drug samples, and second communications means for coupling drug sample information between the medical center computer system and the central server and coupling drug sample tracking information to the central server.    
     
     
         2 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 1 , in which the medical center computer system includes means for entering patient information and means for coupling the patient information to the central server; and the central server memory stores the patient information, which includes information about patients to which drug samples are dispensed.  
     
     
         3 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 2 , in which the means for coupling the patient information includes means for encrypting the patient information.  
     
     
         4 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 2 , in which the medical center computer system includes a means for storing the patient information.  
     
     
         5 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 1 , in which the central server memory stores user information, which indicates those users who are authorized to use the system; the central server includes means for coupling the user information to the medical center computer system; and the medical center computer system includes means for verifying that a user is authorized to use the system based on the user information received from the central server.  
     
     
         6 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 2 , in which the patient information stored at the central server memory includes a patient identifier, a patient name, a patient age, a patient gender, a patient symptom, a patient diagnosis, a drug sample identifier for a drug sample dispensed to the patient, and a result of the drug sample dispensed to the patient.  
     
     
         7 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 1 , in which the drug sample information stored in the central server memory includes a drug sample identifier, a drug sample name, a drug company name, an expiration date, a dosage, and a quantity.  
     
     
         8 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 1 , in which the drug sample tracking information stored in the central server memory includes a drug sample identifier, a drug sample name, a drug company name, a medical center identifier for the medical center that dispensed the drug sample, a drug sample dispensing history, and an inventory of the drug sample at the medical center.  
     
     
         9 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 1 , in which the first and second communications means include means for coupling data between the central server and the medical center computer system using the Internet.  
     
     
         10 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 9 , in which the medical center computer system includes a processor and the second communications means includes a web browser program that is executed by the processor.  
     
     
         11 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 1 , in which the medical center computer system includes a memory for storing the drug sample information, for storing the drug sample tracking information, and for storing drug sample inventory information at the remote medical center; and the first and second communications means operate to periodically couple the drug sample information and the drug sample tracking information between the central server memory and the medical center computer system memory.  
     
     
         12 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 11 , in which the medical center computer system memory and the central server memory also store patient information, which contains information about patients to which drug samples are dispensed; the medical center computer system also includes means for entering the patient information; and the medical center computer system also includes means for periodically communicating the patient information to the central server.  
     
     
         13 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 12 , in which the means for communicating the patient information includes means for encrypting the patient information.  
     
     
         14 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 11 , in which the central server memory also stores user information, which indicates which users are authorized to use the system; the central server also includes means for coupling the user information to the medical center computer system; the medical center computer system memory stores the user information; and the medical center computer system includes means for verifying that a user is authorized to use the system based on the user information stored in the medical center computer system memory.  
     
     
         15 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 12 , in which the stored patient information includes a patient identifier, a patient name, a patient age, a patient gender, a patient symptom, a patient diagnosis, a drug sample identifier for a drug sample dispensed to the patient, and a result of the drug sample dispensed to the patient.  
     
     
         16 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 11 , in which the stored drug sample information includes a drug sample identifier, a drug sample name, a drug company name, an expiration date, a dosage, and a quantity.  
     
     
         17 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 11 , in which the stored drug sample tracking information includes a drug sample identifier, a drug sample name, a drug company name, a medical center identifier for the medical center that dispensed the drug sample, a history of the drug samples dispensed from the medical center, and an inventory of drug samples at the medical center.  
     
     
         18 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 11 , in which the first and second communications means include means for coupling data between the central server and the medical center computer system using the Internet.  
     
     
         19 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 18 , in which the medical center computer system includes a processor and the second communications means includes a web browser program that is executed by the processor.  
     
     
         20 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a drug company computer system, located at a remote drug company facility, the drug company computer system including: means for entering drug sample information and a third communications means for coupling drug sample information to the central server and for coupling drug sample tracking information from the central server.  
     
     
         21 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 20 , in which the central server memory stores patient information, which contains information about patients to which drug samples are dispensed; the medical center computer system includes means for entering the patient information and means for coupling the patient information to the central server memory; and the central server also includes means for coupling the stored patient information to the drug company computer system.  
     
     
         22 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 21 , in which the means for coupling the patient information includes means for encrypting the patient information.  
     
     
         23 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 20 , in which the central server memory stores user information, which indicates users who are authorized to use the system; the central server also includes means for coupling the user information to the drug company computer system; and the drug company computer system includes means for verifying that a user is authorized to use the system based on the user information received from the central server.  
     
     
         24 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 21 , in which the patient information stored at the central server memory includes a patient identifier, a patient name, a patient age, a patient gender, a patient symptom, a patient diagnosis, a drug sample identifier for a drug sample dispensed to the patient, and a result of the drug sample dispensed to the patient.  
     
     
         25 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 20 , in which the drug sample information stored at the central server memory includes a drug sample identifier, a drug sample name, a drug company name, an expiration date, a dosage, and a quantity.  
     
     
         26 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 20 , in which the drug sample tracking information stored at the central server memory includes a drug sample identifier, a drug sample name, a drug company name, a medical center identifier for the medical center that dispensed the drug sample, a history of the drug samples dispensed from the medical center, and an inventory of the drug samples at the medical center.  
     
     
         27 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 20 , in which the first and third communications means include means for coupling data between the central server and the drug company computer system using the Internet.  
     
     
         28 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 27 , in which the drug company computer system includes a processor and the third communications means includes a web browser program that is executed by the processor.  
     
     
         29 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 20 , in which the drug company computer system includes a memory for storing the drug sample information and for storing the drug sample tracking information; and the first and third communications means operate to periodically couple the drug sample information and the drug sample tracking information between the central server memory and the drug company computer system memory.  
     
     
         30 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 29 , in which the central sever memory and the drug company computer system memory also store patient information, which contains information about patients to which drug samples are dispensed; and the drug company computer system also includes means for periodically retrieving information from the central server.  
     
     
         31 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 30 , in which the means for communicating the patient information includes means for encrypting the patient information.  
     
     
         32 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 29 , in which the central server memory also stores user information, which indicates which users are authorized to use the system; the central server also includes means for coupling the user information to the drug company computer system; the drug company computer system memory stores the user information; and the drug company computer system includes means for verifying that a user is authorized to use the system based on the user information stored in the drug company computer system memory.  
     
     
         33 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 30 , in which the stored patient information includes a patient identifier, a patient name, a patient age, a patient gender, a patient symptom, a patient diagnosis, a drug sample identifier for a drug sample dispensed to the patient, and a result of the drug sample dispensed to the patient.  
     
     
         34 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 30 , in which the stored drug sample information includes a drug sample identifier, a drug sample name, a drug company name, an expiration date, a dosage, and a quantity.  
     
     
         35 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 30 , in which the stored drug sample tracking information includes a drug sample identifier, a drug sample name, a drug company name, a medical center identifier for the medical center that dispensed the drug sample, a history of the drug samples dispensed from the medical center, and an inventory of the drug samples at the medical center.  
     
     
         36 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 29 , in which the first and second communications means includes means for coupling data between the central server and the drug company computer system using the Internet.  
     
     
         37 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 36 , in which the drug company computer system includes a processor and the second communications means includes a web browser program that is executed by the processor.  
     
     
         38 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in claims  1 ,  11 ,  20 , or  29  in which the drug sample tracking information includes information on drug samples from drug companies that do not use the system that are delivered to the remote medical center and dispensed from the remote medical center.  
     
     
         39 . A method for drug sample inventory and tracking, comprising the steps of: 
 connecting a central server to a network;    storing in a memory on the central server drug sample information, which provides detailed drug sample information for drug samples that are delivered to and dispensed from a remote medical center;    connecting a medical center computer system, located at the remote medical center, to the network;    entering at the medical center computer system drug sample tracking information, which includes information on the drug samples delivered to the remote medical center, information on the drug samples dispensed from the remote medical center, and information on the inventory of drug samples at the remote medical center;    communicating the drug sample information between the central server and the medical center computer system through the network;    communicating the drug sample tracking information from the medical center computer system to the central server through the network; and    storing the drug sample tracking information and drug sample inventory information in the central server memory.    
     
     
         40 . A method for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 39 , further comprising the steps of: 
 entering patient information at the medical center computer system, which includes information about patients to which drug samples are dispensed;    communicating the patient information from the medical center computer system to the central server through the network; and    storing the patient information in the central server memory.    
     
     
         41 . A method for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 40 , in which communicating the patient information from the medical center computer system to the central server includes encrypting the patient information.  
     
     
         42 . A method for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 40 , further including the step of storing the patient information in a memory on the medical center computer system.  
     
     
         43 . A method for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 39 , further comprising the steps of: 
 storing user authorization information in the central server memory; and    communicating the user authorization information from the central server to the medical center computer system through the network.    
     
     
         44 . A method for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 39 , further comprising the steps of: 
 storing in a memory on the medical center computer system the drug sample information, the drug sample tracking information, and drug sample inventory information; and    periodically connecting the central server and the medical center computer system to the network to download the drug sample tracking information stored in the medical center computer system memory to the central server memory and to synchronize the drug sample information in the medical center computer system memory with the drug sample information in the central server memory.    
     
     
         45 . A method for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 44 , further comprising the steps of: 
 entering patient information at the medical center computer system, which includes information about patients to which drug samples are dispensed;    storing the patient information in the medical center computer system memory; and    communicating the patient information stored in the medical center computer system memory to the central server memory when the central server and the medical center computer system periodically connect to the network.    
     
     
         46 . A method for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 45 , in which the step of communicating the patient information stored in the medical center computer system memory to the central server memory includes encrypting the patient information.  
     
     
         47 . A method for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 44 , further comprising the steps of: 
 storing user authorization information in the central server memory;    storing the user authorization information in the medical center computer system memory; and    synchronizing the user authorization information in the central server memory and the user authorization information in the medical center computer system memory when the central server and the medical center computer system periodically connect to the network.    
     
     
         48 . A method for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in claims  39  or  40 , further comprising the steps of: 
 uploading a software update from the central server to the medical center computer system; and  
 installing the software update on the medical center computer system.  
 
     
     
         49 . A method for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in claims  39  or  40 , further comprising the steps of: 
 uploading an operating system update from the central server to the medical center computer system; and  
 installing the operating system update on the medical center computer system.  
 
     
     
         50 . A method for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in claims  39  or  40 , further comprising the steps of: 
 uploading a database structure update from the central server to the medical center computer system; and  
 installing the database structure update on the medical center computer system.  
 
     
     
         51 . A method for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 39 , further comprising the steps of: 
 connecting a drug company computer system, located at a remote drug company facility, to the network;    entering the drug sample information at the drug company computer system;    communicating the drug sample information from the drug company computer system to the central server through the network; and    communicating the drug sample tracking information from the central server to the drug company computer system through the network.    
     
     
         52 . A method for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 51 , further comprising the steps of: 
 storing patient information, which provides information about patients to which drug samples are dispensed, in the central server memory; and    communicating the patient information from the central server to the drug company computer system through the network.    
     
     
         53 . A method for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 52 , in which communicating the patient information from the central server to the drug company computer system includes encrypting the patient information.  
     
     
         54 . A method for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 51 , further comprising the steps of: 
 storing user authorization information in the central server memory; and    communicating the user authorization information from the central server to the drug company computer system through the network.    
     
     
         55 . A method for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 51 , further comprising the steps of: 
 storing in a memory on the drug company computer system the drug sample information and the drug sample tracking information; and    periodically connecting the central server and the drug company computer system to the network, to communicate the drug sample information stored in the drug company computer system memory to the central server memory and to download the drug sample tracking information from the central server memory to the drug company computer system memory.    
     
     
         56 . A method for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 55 , further comprising the steps of: 
 storing in the central server memory patient information, which includes information about patients to which drug samples are dispensed,; and    downloading the patient information stored in the central server memory to the drug company computer system memory when the central server and the drug company computer system periodically connect to the network.    
     
     
         57 . A method for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 56 , in which the step of downloading the patient information stored in the central server memory to the drug company computer system memory comprises encrypting the patient information.  
     
     
         58 . A method for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 55 , further comprising the steps of: 
 storing in the central server memory user authorization information;    storing the user authorization information in the drug company computer system memory; and    synchronizing the user authorization information in the central server memory and the user authorization information in the drug company computer system memory when the central server and the drug company computer system periodically connect to the network.    
     
     
         59 . A method for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in claims  51  or  52 , further comprising the steps of: 
 uploading a software update from the central server to the drug company computer system; and  
 installing the software update on the drug company computer system.  
 
     
     
         60 . A method for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in claims  51  or  52 , further comprising the steps of: 
 uploading an operating system update from the central server to the drug company computer system; and  
 installing the operating system update on the drug company computer system.  
 
     
     
         61 . A method for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in claims  51  or  52 , further comprising the steps of: 
 uploading a database structure update from the central server to the drug company computer system; and  
 installing the database structure update on the drug company computer system.  
 
     
     
         62 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 20 , in which the central server memory stores subscriber services information, which includes information on each medical center and drug company that uses the system.  
     
     
         63 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 62 , in which the subscriber services information includes an indication that patient information will be provided by the medical center computer system.  
     
     
         64 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 62 , in which the subscriber services information includes an indication that patient information should be downloaded to the drug company computer system.  
     
     
         65 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in  claim 62 , in which the subscriber services information includes an indication that non-customer drug sample information should be downloaded to the drug company computer system.  
     
     
         66 . A system for drug sample inventory and tracking, as recited in claims  1 ,  2 ,  11 , or  12 , in which the medical center computer system includes means for checking an expiration date for the drug samples.